RDF26 Confirmation

Your RDF26 Details

Please read carefully the following confirmation of your booking for RDF26, taking place from 10-12th May 2026. If there are any changes required please use your invoice number to submit your changes via the “Request a Change” Form

Logistics & Onsite Information

Conference Venue	Hilton Birmingham Metropole, The NEC Birmingham, Pendigo Way, Birmingham B40 1PP More Information All conference sessions, Sunday leadership session, the networking buffet, Exhibition, Posters and the Conference Dinner will take place here. If you have reserved a hotel room, please check your individual details above for your hotel allocation. (NB – This venue is a cashless venue)
Registration Times at Hilton Metropole	All registration will take place in the main Hotel reception at the conference venue (Hilton Metropole). As you come through the main doors, the hotel reception is on your right and the registration desk for RDF26 will be found on your left. Name badges will be laid out in alphabetical order by surname. Sunday for Exhibitors: 11:00 – 14:30 (for stand setup) Sunday for Delegates: 15:00 – 20:00 Monday & Tuesday: from 8:00 It is vital to come to the registration desk and collect your name badge. Please ensure you wear your name badge at all times.
Event Contact (from Saturday 9th May)	Contact event organisers: 07881026549
Dietary/Access Needs	Please carefully review your dietary and accessibility requirements. If anything needs updating, you must submit changes using the Change Request Form. Vegetarian options are available upon request If you have any allergies or intolerances, you must have informed us before the deadline (27th April) for us to be able to cater to your needs. If you have provided these afterwards, we cannot guarantee to cater for you. At the event, please find a member of the F&B team who will be dressed in bright green high-vis jackets. They will assist you with finding your meal. Important: Only delegates who have notified us of dietary requirements in advance will be catered for. We cannot guarantee that any dietary requirements submitted after 27th April will be accommodated.
Hotel Accommodation	If you have a booking with a hotel room, you will not be provided with a specific booking reference for the hotel. For queries or changes contact the RDF event team, not the hotel. You will need to provide your name on check-in. Hotel accommodation includes Bed & Breakfast. Any additional charges must be paid by the guest before departure. Find out more information about check in/check out times and getting to your hotel here.
Delegates staying at the Hilton Birmingham Metropole	For attendees staying at the Hilton (registered via the RDF26 site) breakfast will be available at: Arbor Restaurant: Main Breakfast with all options Millers Bar: Bacon Baps & continental Please use both locations to reduce traffic. For the locations, please consult the venue floor plan on Swapcard.

Prepare your participation

Event App

Swapcard is the RDF26 Event App. You will receive a “magic link” by email to access this. Please download Swapcard to your mobile device to use during the event and start selecting your sessions.

Using the app allows you to book meetings with other attendees, create your own event schedule, and make networking contacts with other attendees.

Please select your sessions and build your schedule as soon as possible, this helps us allocate the right room sizes and ensures the best experience for all delegates.
Note: Sunday Networking and the Conference Dinner cannot be booked through the app.

Audience Polls and Q&A with Slido

We will be using Slido for audience voting and Q&As during RDF26 sessions. You can access the event using the link below:

Click to access Slido
Event Code: #RDF26

You can also download Slido as an app to your mobile device.

Sunday Networking & Conference Dinner

Sunday Networking and the Conference Dinner are only open to registered attendees. Access will be checked via your name badge, which must be brought to both events. You can check your registration in the “Booked for” section at the top of this page. Registering your attendance via Swapcard does not grant you access.

Sunday Workshop & Networking (MUST be displayed in your booking information above)

If you have registered (via the booking form – NOT Swapcard) for Sunday:

Sunday Session “It’s not Magic – Effective leadership in a complex world” Starts: 18:00 in the Monarch Suite
Networking Buffet: 20:00 in the Palace Suite (Exhibitor Hall)
Finish Time: 22:00

A bar will be available to purchase drinks.

Conference Dinner

(MUST be displayed in your booking information above)

If you have booked for the conference dinner, we are pleased to invite you to an evening of dining and celebration at the Hilton Birmingham Metropole.

Guests will be welcomed with a glass of prosecco on arrival, followed by a three-course seated dinner. During the evening, the RDF26 Awards will be presented, recognising excellence and innovation across R&D, research, and healthcare. The evening will conclude with a disco.

More Information

Parking

To take advantage of the agreed discounted rate of £16 per car, per day to park at the Hilton Birmingham Metropole, please see the below:

Pre-register: https://www.bhmparking.co.uk/book-parking/?e=e771c415eeabdd7d935a5ed6066b501b

Register onsite: scan the below QR code or use the following code at the terminal onsite: IRISV
Bookmark Posters

Get a head start before the event by browsing the full list of posters featured at RDF26 in the Exhibition Hall’s Poster Zone (Sponsored by RQA). With over 200 posters, don’t miss the ones you’d like to see & make a note of the ones you’d like to explore during the conference.

This is a fantastic opportunity to engage with authors, discover new insights, and spark conversations across the R&D, research, and healthcare community. You will have the opportunity to vote for “Best Poster Award: Delegate Choice” at the conference via the event app.

Browse all posters on display at RDF26 here.
Badges & dress code
Please wear your name badge at all times.

Sunday Evening: Smart/Casual

Monday/Tuesday: Smart/Business Casual

Conference Dinner: Smart/Business Casual (Black Tie optional)

Show your support for #Red4Research by wearing something red during the Conference (optional).

Badges at the Conference Dinner: Please present your name badge upon arrival at the Monarch Suite, as the event team will need to check for the symbol indicating your dinner booking. Badges do not need to be worn once inside the room.
Wi-Fi
What do I need to do now?
To make the most of the event, please complete the following:

Log in to Swapcard and build your agenda – Bookmark the sessions you’d like to attend so we can plan room capacities and ensure you don’t miss out

Plan your travel – Make sure your journey to and from the venue is arranged in advance

Check your hotel room booking – Confirm which hotel you’ve been allocated at the top of this page (if you have registered for a hotel room as part of your booking). The two hotels used by the RDF Conference are:

Hilton Birmingham Metropole

Moxy NEC

Review your dietary and access requirements: Ensure all information has been submitted and is up to date

Come prepared to network, attend sessions, and make the most of the experience
Where can I find the floor plan?
You can access all floor plans by logging into Swapcard and navigating to the relevant sections:

Exhibition Hall Floor Plan available on Swapcard via the floor plan/map buttons

Hotel Floor Plan includes key information such as:

Lifts and accessibility routes

Catering points

Session rooms

Spaces used for the RDF Conference

Make sure to review these in advance to help you navigate the venue easily during the event.
Putting up a poster
You can put up your poster (or put up a poster on behalf of someone else) from:

15:00-21:00 Sunday 10th May

8:00-10:30 (first Coffee Break) Monday 11th May

All information will also be available in the Poster Guide, which was sent to successful poster entries.

Still got questions? Visit our FAQ page here.

Share your attendance

If you would like to share your attendance of RDF26, please find an image formatted for social media below. Don’t forget to include the event hashtag in your post (#RDF26) and tag The Research and Development Forum on LinkedIn and @TheRDForum on X.

Simply click on the image below to download it.